


Ginger and Gladiolus

by WontGetDown



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, HE CAN WALK THE WALK BUT HE CAN'T TALK THE TALK, I don't ship it but I implied things as best I could, Modern AU, My first time writing Crowe!Javert, but all non-police social situations send him running for figurative cover, by which I mean he's a total badass, don't you dare tell me this dork wouldn't be anything but inconceivably awkward and adorable, flower shop au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-18
Updated: 2013-08-18
Packaged: 2017-12-23 21:50:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/931465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WontGetDown/pseuds/WontGetDown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Javert stops by the Valjean's flower shop and notices they've undergone a significant change in uniform.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ginger and Gladiolus

**Author's Note:**

> So I recently discovered the work of ClaireDraws on Tumblr, and she promptly became one of my favorite Les Mis fanartists! My infatuation was only increased with the advent of her Flower Shop AU and accompanying fanart, and then two things happened: first, she drew this ( http://clairedraws.tumblr.com/post/57102396203/tumblr-user-thesepeoplesheroes-pointed-out-that ), and second, she mentioned that she would love to see Flower Shop AU fic in her inbox! Being up at 2 AM and feeling inspired, I decided to make this small dream into a reality.
> 
> Bear in mind that I don't ship Javert and Valjean as anything other than the bro-est of bros, but I will be the first to champion this AU as the cutest of cute. It stole my heart and I'm real mad I didn't think of it first. (Not really, she does a better job with the fanart than I could)
> 
> So without further ado, I give you Javert and his first encounter with the flower crown craze!

Javert honestly had no idea where the flower crowns had come from. Despite his almost-daily trips to the corner flower shop, he had not noticed that the rest of the staff was wearing them until he expressed his surprise at Valjean’s appearance in one. Shamelessly attired in a blue and yellow floral contrivance that did ridiculous things for his eyes and the angle of his cheekbones, the older man pointed out that everyone else in the shop was wearing them, and had been for the last week. 

                “Cosette finally talked me into it as well,” he confessed with a warm chuckle. “I rather think she’s trying to boost our morale, as well as the customers’ – after all, autumn and winter are coming on rather more quickly than some people would like, myself included. It has been such a wonderful summer.” 

                Javert snorted, trying not to be distracted by the bee that had just taken off from somewhere behind Valjean’s ear. “Good weather means bad people crawl out from where less pleasant weather usually keeps them bottled up. The crime rate in the city has skyrocketed – especially around these parts,” he added, in an almost unconscious attempt to explain the frequency of his visits to the immediate area. “Charming neighborhoods like this are always a target. People tend to forget to lock their doors. Such a false sense of security could be _deadly_.” He looked Valjean in the eye at this, intense and serious and 100 percent cop. Valjean smiled, slow and lopsided like honey dripping from a bottle. 

                “I’m glad you think our neighborhood is charming,” he responded politely, and Javert’s brain went blank. 

                “What?! I – no – just – the way the houses are built, and – children, families – that sort of thing -” 

                “Oh, that reminds me,” Valjean went on smoothly, as though Javert had not just started flailing incoherently and turning as red as the display of roses in a nearby windowsill. “Cosette made a crown for Marius, that young man who’s always mooning around her while she works.” His tone and expression both went a shade darker as he said Marius’s name, but as soon as he’d finished the sentence they were back to normal. “I actually feel a little sorry for him; I think he’s got allergies, but he _would_ wear the thing to impress Cosette. Anyway, I thought that since he was getting one, it was only fair that our other shop regular get a flower crown as well!” 

                Javert blinked. “What – ” he began, and then there was a rustling sound as Valjean pulled something out from behind the checkout counter and placed it on Javert’s head. 

                The policeman yelped and pulled away, uncomfortable with the sudden close proximity of the shop owner. Valjean took no offense to this reaction, simply smiling his gentle honey smile as he resumed their conversation. 

                “Berrirose, ginger, and snapdragons. I apologize for the rather feminine shades, but I’m afraid I selected the specific flowers with more thought on their meaning than their colors.” 

                Javert stared at himself in the mirror spread across the wall behind Valjean. He looked disgruntled, confused, and ridiculous. The vibrant pinks and purples clashed fiercely with the pale blue of his summer uniform, but served to match the flush in his cheeks very well. It looked entirely out of place on his head – he was not a natural bearer of such a creation, unlike Valjean, who looked entirely at home with a large blue hydrangea threatening to obscure his vision on one side. 

                _Thank you_. “This is entirely unprofessional. One cannot properly pursue the criminal element while featuring a bouquet as a headpiece,” Javert grumbled, making no move to take it off. Valjean’s honey smirk transformed into a sunny beam of a grin. 

                “One would not expect you to,” he responded, his gaze moving past Javert and focusing on the front of the shop. “Oh, dear. Someone forgot their anniversary. Good day, Inspector,” he murmured, brushing past Javert to help the clearly distressed 20-something who was fretting over a display of the most elaborate bouquets. 

                On his way back to the station, Javert stopped by an inconspicuous coffee shop and used their wi-fi to look up flower meanings on his smartphone over a Styrofoam cup of the black and bitter. 

                _Snapdragon - graciousness; Berrirose – choose your destiny, I’ll love you forever  
_

                Javert yelped as he spilled hot coffee on his hand by dint of having unintentionally crushed the cup he was holding. The flower crown, which he’d stowed carefully in a side pocket of his versatile street uniform pants, stayed there until he got home late that night. He then removed it and kept it on his desk until it became shriveled and brown and unrecognizable as anything but some kind of dead plant. 

                It was still there when he accidentally brought Valjean over after coffee two weeks later, having forgotten about the fact that his entire apartment was full of the flowers he’d been buying and not really doing anything with.

**Author's Note:**

> *Saunters out from a shady corner* Yo dawg I hope you read the opening notes. And if you didn't, you should probably go back and read 'em as they contain IMPORTANT INFORMATION
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading the product of 2 AM and a little too much caffeine! Please drop a review if you did!
> 
> No, really. Reviews are the spice of my life. Please. They add flavor to my college sophomore existence. Will you do it for puppy eyes? Imagine puppy eyes. The cutest you've ever seen. YOU CAN'T RESIST THEM.


End file.
